There are many liars aboard the starship Assured . In the cold remote depths of space, lies can be deadly. While the Assured and its crew recover from the short-lived conflict around the Tluaan homeworld, there is disagreement amongst its senior mission staff. Captain Pan Xinchun recommends leaving the Tluaanto to their own petty squabbles. Ambassador Chris Gregory remains keen to broker peace. And the ship still suffers the after-effects of the viral attack on its systems. When Domain Space ask Assured for transport to a nearby star system to investigate the existence of yet another intelligent species, Gregory and Pan agree. What they find there will test their mettle and their morality … Meanwhile, Xerxian soldier Ana Jogianto labors to shed her past and embrace DCHC values. And Peacekeeper Chipper Tukimatu finds himself embarking on an important recon mission, hoping to avoid further violence. Neither of them can anticipate how much their goals and desires will be thwarted. Neither of them can imagine the enemies they face, from outside of the Assured … and from within it.